


Her Game

by adarkharmony



Category: adarkharmony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2020-09-01 14:23:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20259529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adarkharmony/pseuds/adarkharmony
Summary: What's your worst fear?





	Her Game

A water droplet splattered across the cold skin of my face. My eyes shot open, and I was suddenly struck with an intense ache throughout my body. It felt as if I had just run a marathon. Trying my best to ignore the pain, I forced myself to sit up. The space around me was... dark, to say the very least.

There was no visible source or explanation for the pale green glow that filled the tiny room. The walls were composed of decaying wood, which was greenish yellow in color. It reminded me of a swamp moss, though I don't remember ever seeing it. The word "swamp" confused me, as I knew what it meant but I had no recollection of ever seeing one. How would I have known what it looked like? Come to think of it, I didn't remember anything. Trying to remember just left my ears ringing and an intense pressure behind my eyes. I decided to just give up. The cracks and holes in the wood were riddled with maggots and worms. The putrid smell of mold and mildew hung heavily in the humid chilled air, flooding into my lungs like poisonous gas.

The strange room had a musty, earthy feel to it, and I didn't like it a bit. I had no clue how far down I was under the surface, but the breathless and empty, almost helpless feeling I got told me it was far. I looked around to try and gather some information about where I was, but there was nothing. No furniture. No windows. No features were present in the room, apart from a towering cracked archway which led to a set of stairs. They were made of the same material as the walls, seeing as they were in the same condition. Well... that and a single crumpled ball of paper.

I placed my hands on the slippery, grimy cement floor and pushed. Rising to my feet, I listened. The only sounds that echoed through the room were the steady

Drip...

Drip...

Drip...

of the water which seeped from a jagged crack in the ceiling above me, and the crinkling and rustling of my clothes as I moved. I slowly made my way to the paper, the sudden shift in position left blood rushing to my head and disoriented me momentarily. Had I not extended my arm towards the wall and placed my hand upon its spongy, slimy surface, I would have fallen. I shifted my weight onto it as I waited for my vision to clear and my balance to come back. It took a few seconds, but eventually the moment passed.

I crouched down and picked up the crumpled, yellowing paper. It crinkled slightly as I unrolled it and flattened it out. The sound seemed louder due to the lack of objects to obstruct the path of the waves travelling throughout the cramped room.

The writing seemed rushed. The small, jagged letters which clung together as if they themselves felt the same fear as I did suggested that the author of this letter wasn't having what one would call a "fun time." Whatever this strange letter was written in had faded, and there was a dark smear across the bottom lines, as if this mysterious liquid hadn't had time to properly dry. Because of this... I felt as if I really needed to read what it said.

~

Unknown date

To whoever is reading this, I just want to say that I am so sorry. You are in the same position I used to be, and you will end up like I will if you choose to ignore this. You just woke up, with no recollection of your life before you entered this place. That's okay though, it doesn't really matter now. You probably won't make it out. I found letters from others, scattered throughout this place, and it seems like no one has ever made it out alive.

All you need to know is that time is irrelevant. You are the only one in here that it affects, but you're most definitely not alone. You're trapped here, in this maze. With it. No... With her. She will chase you, but you cannot let her catch you. For if she does, she won't kill you. Oh, but you will certainly wish she did. You'll be sent back here, with whatever you had on you at the time you were c̶a̶u̶g̶h̶t̶ tagged, and that is all that is constant. The halls of this maze will shift as well as everything contained in them. Now, these changes happen in one of two ways. Either

1\. That painting or crack in the wall wasn't there before

Or

2\. When she is about to catch you and you go to take a turn to escape... that turn will no longer exist.

~

Chills ran down my spine after reading that. I couldn't continue yet, I wasn't ready. I glanced up at the stairwell in front of me. The boards looked a lot ricketier up close. I hesitated for a moment, and then took my first step up. The boards emitted a low, resounding groan at my weight. I held my breath and listened for any noise. This woman was out there in the maze, wanting to... tag me? What was that supposed to mean? Oh well, whatever it meant it couldn't have been a good thing. I closed my eyes to focus and listen, but there was nothing but silence and the ever present leaking ceiling. I made my way up the steps slowly as to not attract any attention to myself.

At the top of the stairwell there was a heavy rusted metal door, which let out a loud groan as I pushed it open. I cringed and checked to either side of me. To my left was a dead ended hallway, which was short and had no notable difference to the room I had just come from apart from the large portrait of a man resting against it. It depicted a short, fat man with a bald head and a scraggly beard. I was surprised to see just how realistic it was.

The face seemed to have even the tiniest details and undertones that this man would have had and not a single stroke seemed out of place. The hair fell realistically and hung there as if it really did have gravity weighing it down. The eyes portrayed an emotion I hadn't realized could be captured that well. It was one you couldn't quite put into words, but if you had seen it you would know. The man himself seemed to be trapped in the painting, not even his clothes could match the hyper-realism of his face.

The painting, as weird as it sounds, seemed to be staring directly at me. I swore I saw the emotions in its eyes change, and anxiety welled up inside me. I leaned closer to fully inspect them, and that's when I realized something. My skin was drained of all color and I felt like I was going to be sick. I quickly pulled back from the painting and my suspicions were confirmed. The pupils were dilating and that was not just a painting. It, or rather he, must have recognized my realization as a small smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. He didn't speak, he just stared. Somehow... that was even more unsettling.

I backed up down the hallway, feeling my way down the maggot and worm ridden walls until I was a comfortable distance from it. My hand brushed against a cold, hard, round object and I glanced over to see what it was. I was greeted by a brass doorknob, with no lock. I grasped it firmly, and the poorly rounded edges dug into the creases of my palm and fingers. I turned my hand slowly, worried that when I opened it I would be faced with a horror worse than anything I had ever experienced before. It was loose and squeaky, jiggling a bit in any direction and had obviously not been created and installed properly. My stomach growled, and I remembered that the letter said that time still affected me here.

This meant that I would still get hungry, thirsty, tired, and I would still have all the same basic needs that I did before. Only this time I had to pray to whoever and whatever I could that there was a way to obtain those items I needed. I pushed, and the door opened. It led to a decently sized room, which had large scraps of cloth lying in several places around it. The smell of smoke hung thick in the air, and I pinned the reasoning behind it down to a small burnt spot on the floor beside one of them. I assumed it was a campfire someone had used to cook or heat up. I couldn't remember how to cook, but I was sure once the time was right it would just come naturally. Besides, I didn't have any food to cook. Not right now, anyway.

I picked up some of the scattered cloths and decided to tie them into a makeshift bag, so if I found anything of use I could put it in there. After a few minutes this small task was complete, and I slid the letter into it and continued along my way. I wandered the halls for what seemed like hours, checking every room. I eventually stumbled upon a room that had an old looking refrigerator in it. I was confused at first, but I guess having rooms in the middle of a maze that a house would have made as much sense as anything else in this place.

I opened it and didn't question the fact that it had electricity despite how abandoned everything else was. I vaguely recalled hearing about supernatural occurrences generating copious amounts of energy, but I didn't remember where it was from or how I understood any of those words. I guess it's a start. I scanned the dimly lit shelves to find something that may actually be safe to eat. It was mostly empty, aside from some jars filled with what I assumed were preserves, some old rotting vegetables, and a plain white container. I reached in to pick up the container but as soon as I set my hand on it I felt that something was off. Whatever was in there probably wasn't worth my time anyway...

I took out the preserves and set them on the counter. Foraging through the various cabinets and drawers, I found flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, canned vegetables, Spam, and two loaves of bread. I had also gotten some plastic wrap and paper towels. I made sandwiches from the preserves and bread and ate before tucking the cans and rolls of wrap into the bag. I also kept the salt on me just in case. I was beginning to remember more. I still couldn't remember specific details, but I remembered that salt was supposed to protect against the supernatural.

I began to wander the halls again. By the time I had tired out, I had found several new rooms. Each had some strange sense of familiarity, but I hadn't encountered the woman yet. I settled down in the room I was closest to. My legs were tired, and I ached for water. Good thing I had brought a lot with me from that fountain in the garden room. I laid down after taking a small drink. Curling up under a blanket on a rare patch of dry floor, I slept.

I awoke to the sound of giggling. My eyes snapped open and darted towards the source of the sound. A little girl, about 8-10 years old with shoulder length bleach blonde hair and paper white skin, was standing in the doorway. Her "innocent" grey eyes ripped into my very soul, and her "childish" grin shattered every fiber of strength I had left.

"Hey there, you must be the new guy," she exclaimed. "Do you want to play a game with me?"

With those words she started towards me. With every step I felt pressure building up in my head, and my ears popped and rung. Time seemed to slow down, and the air was filled with an intense energy that wasn't there before. The very fabric of the universe seemed to stretch and crackle and spin around us, and it took all my willpower to get to my feet. I pulled the salt from my bag, grabbed a handful, and quickly threw it at her feet. She just looked at it and giggled before stepping over it.

"Don't you know those are just silly superstitions?" Her cold, bony fingers grasped my arm tightly. I felt as if every atom in my body was being split at once and screamed in agony. I passed out from the pain. Right before I lost consciousness, I heard her speak to me in a smug voice.

"Tag, you're it."

I opened my eyes slowly. I was back in the room, and something was digging into my back. My bag. Every single muscle ached even worse than it did before, and I threw up in the corner. I couldn't go through that pain again. I would just stay here for a while and recuperate. I got into a comfortable position and pulled out the letter again.

~

Now, all this may seem intimidating, but I urge you not to stay in the same spot. As I said, anything in the maze will change locations whenever you get caught. And she is constantly moving towards you. She may be closer at one time than she was at another, so you need to get out of that room as fast as you can. Don't let her get in there. Don't trap yourself like I did. I'm running out of time now, she is coming down the stairs. Please. Take my warning and don't forget me.

Tell my family I love them when you get out of here. Tell my wife and daughter that ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

Don■t f■rget m■ na■■, ■■■■■■ B■■■■

~

That was all that I could make out. The rest was smudged. Poor guy. I set down the letter and set off again to find my way out of this place. I made my way through the first few hallways with ease, but then I started noticing something was slightly off. I brushed it off and kept going. Strangely enough, I hadn't come to a room in a while, nor had I come to a place where it branched off and I had to decide which way to go. It was just a singular, winding hall.

That's when it hit me. The walls, they were no longer rotten and broken down. The floor was dry and clean. The hall was bright. Could it be that I was close to the end? No, there was no way. I had just started... but... could it be possible that I had gotten extremely lucky and the maze had rearranged itself into a simpler form? I sped up, my cautious walk turning into a light jog.

I followed the hallway all the way down. It got brighter every turn I took. Finally, I reached a long straight path. I had to squint and hold my hand up to protect my eyes. It was just pure light. A determined feeling stirred up inside me, and I continued towards it. I made it halfway before stopping dead in my tracks.

"There you are," the sickly-sweet voice erupted a few feet ahead of me. "I figured you would eventually make your way here. So, I decided to wait for you. And you came! Oh, but we are still playing, aren't we?"

My hand curled into a fist. I was sick of her. I was done playing this sick, twisted game. She was a murderer. She wasn't human. I hated this place and I wanted to get out. She smiled her stupid smile and took a step towards me. I wasn't scared this time. I think she sensed that, because she seemed a little surprised when I didn't flinch. She seemed weaker this time.

That's when it clicked. This creature feeds off fear. That letter wasn't there to help me. It was there to keep me alive and terrify me long enough to feed on me. Without that fear, she was as good as dead.

She continued to advance towards me, but I didn't back down. Instead, I took the salt out of my backpack again. She looked a little relieved and grinned.

"I thought I told you that your silly little tricks didn't work on me."

I stood still, straight faced. As she inched closer I slid my hand into the bag. I just had to wait. She took note of my lack of movement and sped up, eager to get to me and terrify me. She was hungry. She was now only a foot away.

Quickly, I snatched my hand back out of the bag and slung the salt towards her face. The paper bag smacked into her head with a gritty crunch, and the grainy powder flew out of it and landed in her eyes. She stopped dead in her tracks and screeched. She stumbled backwards a few steps before just collapsing to the ground. As she hastily rubbed her eyes and tried to find some relief, I sprinted past her towards the light. She tried chasing after me, but it was no use. She couldn't see. The light was blinding me as well at this point, but I felt that the end was near. I paused for a moment and looked back over my shoulder at her.

"Tag," I announced proudly with a smirk. "You're it."


End file.
